The Art of Love
by misspatchesmom
Summary: Inspired by Neil Diamond's song of the same name. "Love's not what you have but what you give; and the art of love is who you share it with." A collection short fics about the relationships in the "You Complete Me" universe.
1. Tali and Chaim - November 2034

The Art of Love

_Inspired by Neil Diamond's song of the same name. "__Love's not what you have but what you give;  
and the art of love is who you share it with._" _A collection short fics about the relationships in the "You Complete Me" universe._

Chapter 1: Tali and Chaim – November 2034

Tali sat at her usual corner table at the café near campus. She was pretending to work on her linguistics paper as she watched the study group across from her table. Three men and two women were studying together; from the conversation she'd overheard they were preparing for a massive exam in their forensic immunology course. To be honest, she was focusing her observations on the leader of the group. He wore a kippah, which had been what had first caught her attention. He had a natural leadership, steering the group back to task when the others drifted.

Twice she had walked past the table on the pretense of throwing trash into the receptacle; her excuse to get a better look at the man. He had dark hair and the most intriguing blue eyes she had ever seen. Not a steely blue like her Grandpa, but a blue that made her think of the Mediterranean beaches at Haifa. He had noticed her on her second pass by the table. She could feel him watching her as she walked back to her table.

As the study group started to break up for the night, Tali decided to make her move. She walked past the table one more time, placing a folded piece of paper in front of the dark-haired man with the kippah. She had written a note in Hebrew, including her name and cell number. She paused near the trash receptacle, feeling his eyes on her.

She turned, and met the gaze from the blue eyes. He grinned at her, holding up the note, now unfolded. She smiled back, intrigued now that he had her attention. Tali started back to her table. As she passed, he held out a hand to her.

"Shalom, Tali DiNozzo; I am Chaim Rubin."

Tali took his hand in hers, "Hello, Chaim Rubin. Are you Israeli?"

"Yes and no. My parents moved to Israel when I was two weeks old. I was born in Atlanta; and you? Surely with a last name of DiNozzo you must be at least part Italian?"

"My Abba is third generation Italian-American on his father's side; my Ima is Israeli by birth. I was born in Tel Aviv." Tali found herself easily sharing with him.

"Have you eaten dinner yet?" Chaim found himself fascinated by the woman before him.

"No, what do you have in mind?" Tali wanted to learn more about the man. He fascinated her with his blue eyes that spoke of an old soul. She felt drawn to him.

"Well, there's a diner off I-95 near Franconia that's open all but six days a year, or there is a diner in Alexandria off the Beltway near…" Chaim was cut off by Tali's laugh. "What's so funny?"

"I know BOTH of those diners well; my aunt and uncle go to the one near Franconia all the time and my Grandpa has been going to the one in Alexandria forever!" Tali explained. "Either one is fine with me.

"I live in the apartment complex about two blocks north. You?" she asked.

"Same complex; I walked here. Shall we drop our books and stuff off and head out from there?"

"I walked as well; sounds like a plan to me!" Tali gathered her books, computer, and notes as Chaim packed up his things. They walked side by side, chatting about classes and living in the apartment complex. They discovered that their apartments were across the courtyard from the other's. Once back at the complex, each put school items inside their respective apartments and agreed to meet in the courtyard. Tali quickly changed her shirt to a dressier blouse.

Chaim grinned when they met up in the courtyard, "I see you changed clothes too! Shall I drive?"

"Okay; you drive and I'll pick the Franconia diner," Tali replied. They walked to Chaim's car and he held the door for Tali. "Toda."

"Al lo davar," Chaim grinned to himself as he walked to the driver's side. He was enjoying conversing in Hebrew again. The only times he spoke Hebrew since he had come to the States to attend Georgetown had been when he talked to friends, and sometimes with his sisters, back in Israel.

On the way to the diner, Tali and Chaim shared about themselves with each other. Both felt at ease with the other, as if they were longtime friends rather than new acquaintances. Tali learned that Chaim had two younger sisters, five uncles on his Abba's side and two on his Ima's side as well as three aunts on his Abba's side. His grandfather had been killed in the nine-eleven attack at the World Trade Center.

Tali shared about her extended family; all of the aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and others who made up the family of the heart. "If we didn't have the family of the heart that my parents made, there would be just Ima, Abba, and the five of us kids. We may as well be blood relatives; we all sure act like it!"

At the diner, Clyde greeted both Tali and Chaim. He asked how Leon and Abby were, and Tali told him that they had flown to visit with Kayla's family for the holidays. Jared was coming stateside for Christmas just to see Tori. "Are they still working at NCIS?"

Chaim stopped in his tracks when Clyde asked Tali that question. "Yep, Uncle Leon is still director and Aunt Abby won't ever give up her lab."

"Did you say NCIS?" Chaim asked.

"Yeah, a lot of my family works there; my Abba used to and my Ima and Grandpa retired from there. Uncle Tim, Uncle Jimmy, Aunt Ellie, Uncle Clay, Uncle Nick, Kasie, and Aunt Jack all still work there. I'm hoping to get accepted for FLETC when I finish my degree. I want to work on the International Desk. Why?"

Chaim grinned, "Your aunt wouldn't happen to be Abigail Sciuto? I've read every paper and journal article that she's published. I want to work in Forensics at NCIS because of her work!"

"The one and only," Tali responded with a huge grin. "You've probably read the books by Dr. Donald Mallard as well. He was my Grandducky!"

"No way!" Chaim had all four of Dr. Mallard's books; some of his most treasured possessions. He had asked for the books as his birthday and Chanukah presents for the year he turned twenty two. His parents, sisters, and other family members had pooled their money to buy an autographed set for the budding forensic scientist. "He's a legend!"

"To us, he was just Grandducky. I was seven when he passed, but I remember him telling us stories all the time," Tali reminisced. "Small world, isn't it?"

"That it is! So, how long did you live in Israel?" Chaim changed the subject.

"For most of my first two years; Ima and I lived in a farmhouse near Tel Aviv that was originally my grandfather's. Ima sent me to my Abba here in DC right before the house was blown up in a mortar attack. My grandfather, Eli David, apparently had many enemies," Tali shared.

"Eli David the former director of Mossad?" Chaim was incredulous. His Abba had worked for Director David and Chaim remembered having a family dinner with the Mossad director as a guest. He also vaguely remembered the news reports of the attack and fire at the farmhouse. He had been almost six at the time and what he remembered the most was that his Abba had been glued to the TV news coverage.

"Yes, Ima doesn't talk about him much, but he was her father. I think he and Ima were estranged when he died," Tali added. "I only know bits and pieces of the story. Ima had an older half-brother and a younger sister; they both died young. I am named for my aunt."

"WOW! It most certainly is a small world," Chaim commented as Clyde brought out the food. He and Tali ate the meal while sharing more about themselves and their immediate families. After the meal, they rode back to DC holding hands. Chaim walked Tali to her door.

"Tali, I don't normally kiss on the first date, but I want…" Tali leaned in and locked her lips on Chaim's. She felt so at ease with him and as though she had known him for much longer than the five hours since she had put the note on his table at the café.

They broke the kiss for air. "May I see you tomorrow?" Chaim asked.

"Of course! And the day after, and the day after that, and…" Chaim cut Tali off by putting his lips on hers again. And for the rest of our lives, they both thought to themselves.

"Laila tov, Tali DiNozzo!"

"Laila tov, Chaim Rubin!"

Tali closed her apartment door and leaned back against it. She wondered if this was how her parents had felt when they first kissed.


	2. Anthony and Katie - May 2049

Chapter 2: Anthony and Katie – May 2049

"Hey, babe; look at what I found!" Anthony looked up at his wife sitting across from him at her mother's desk. She was holding what appeared to be a photograph in one hand and a note or letter in her mother's handwriting in the other.

Anthony moved over by Katie wrapping his arms around her, "What did you find?" The task of sorting through her mother's office was not an easy one, but Katie felt that she needed to do this to help her Dad. Uncle Tim had refused to touch anything in Aunt Dee's office since she passed way nearly three years ago. Anthony was almost certain that his father-in-law had not even set foot in the room since becoming a widower.

Katie turned the picture so her husband could see the image, "Guess who this is?" Anthony looked at the two babies in the picture; one about a year old and the other about six months old. They were sleeping with arms wrapped around each other. He grinned and placed a soft kiss on his soulmate's head.

"You and me; together as always…" Anthony and Katie had been friends from infancy, so not a one of their family had been surprised when they became a romantic couple. "Seems like almost every picture from when we were kids has us together."

Katie nodded, "I know. It's like we were drawn together from the start." She unfolded the note from her Mom and started reading it aloud.

"_Dearest Katie: Today is your first birthday and I am so filled with love for you and your brother. The miracle of having children is never lost on me. I see you and John playing or learning something new or interacting with our family, and I feel so blessed to call you my daughter. _

_"Even more so, I see you with your cousins, and Anthony especially, and I know that you will have friends and family for life. Even at one and one and one half years of age, I can tell that you and Anthony will be bonded for life. I hope that one day you will know the joys of being a mother and that you will have a partner in life who is your soulmate._

_"No matter what time brings, you will always be my daughter and I will love you to the moon and back. Mommy_"

Anthony brushed a tear from his wife's cheek and wrapped his arms around her. Katie picked up the next page from the pile that she had found with the picture. That's when Anthony realized that there was a stack of notes for Katie from Aunt Dee!

"She wrote a lot of notes to you, didn't she? We can read them together or you can read them alone, babe." He wasn't sure if Katie would find something personal that she wasn't ready to share yet. "I know you miss her; I do, too."

Katie unfolded the note from the pile. As she flattened the page, a picture of the cousins fell out. Tali, Anthony holding hands with Katie, and John were standing in front of a Christmas tree, grinning in their matching outfits. Katie turned the picture over and on the back in what looked to be her mother's writing was a label; "Christmas 2019."

"I remember that Christmas," Anthony remarked. "Ima was pregnant with the twins; very pregnant! That's the Christmas we spent a night at Grandducky's condo, too. That looks like Grandpa's house."

Katie picked up the note and read it aloud, "_Dear Katie, Wow another year has flown by and now you are two. You are talking and running and becoming stubborn. I guess you come by that honestly, since you are the product of two stubborn parents. Both you and John are showing your very different personalities. John is so easy going and rarely complains. You on the other hand have an independent streak a mile wide. Your food has to be at just the right temperature for you to eat it. You have a set bedtime routine that your Dad and I dare not vary. At family gatherings, you insist that you sit next to Anthony. In fact, the two of you are always together when the family is together. You and Anthony are destined to be together; I truly believe that you are soul mates. I watch the two of you and I know the bond is forever. Love you to the moon and back, Katie girl! Mommy"_

The couple continued to read through the stack of notes. Almost all of the notes and pictures were dated around Katie's birthday or the subsequent Christmas. Every picture except one had Katie and Anthony together. At Christmas 2025, Anthony was with his siblings and parents, almost all of them sporting a cast, wrap, sling, crutches, or a combination. Katie was sitting near Anthony on the floor.

Anthony laughed, "The DiNozzo Disaster!"

"Ah, yes! Your family was a mess that year," Katie chuckled. "We had to move Christmas dinner from Grandpa's house to your house."

"And I started it by breaking my arm," Anthony remembered the fall in the garage that had been the first of the many injuries that Christmas.

Katie had been sifting through the pile of pictures and notes as she and Anthony reminisced. She paused when she opened a note from her seventeenth birthday. The picture of her and Anthony was a candid shot of them kissing at the birthday party.

"_Dearest Katie: Wow, I can't believe you are seventeen already. I love the woman you are becoming; a lot of how you approach your pending adult life has to do with the man that Anthony is becoming. You have chosen well, my daughter. He is a good and caring person, very much like his father. He has the unshakable loyalty to family from his mother. Oh, baby girl, I hate that you are growing up on me, but also love the strong woman you are becoming. I am so proud to call you my daughter, Katie. One day you and Anthony will have a beautiful family of your own; just please wait a few years! I guess you are still annoyed with me about catching you two in Anthony's truck in our driveway. It's not that I don't want you two to share your love; I just hope that you two have a chance to achieve your dreams for college first before you have a family. I love you to the moon and back, Caitlyn Sarah. Mom_"

Anthony took Katie's hand in his after she finished reading the note aloud. "Babe, I wouldn't do it any other way if I could do it over again. Yeah, we were barely beyond kids ourselves when Anthony was born, but we managed. Who'd have thought we'd be parents at twenty? Now we have three great kids."

Katie leaned into her lover, "I never regretted our decision to have Anthony. Our family is the way it was meant to be. Anthony's eleven and the girls are going to be nine this year. If we had waited, Grandpa wouldn't have met the twins most likely and Mom…" Katie choked back a sob.

"I know, love. Your Mom got to enjoy being a Grandma to all three of our kids and they all remember her!" Anthony placed a soft kiss on his wife's head.

Anthony picked up the next picture in the pile; Katie's high school graduation. It was a collage of pictures; one of Katie in her cap and gown, one with John, one with Anthony, one of her receiving her diploma on stage, and one with her parents. He looked at the images one by one. "Look, you have your promise ring on in most of these!" He pointed to her ring finger in the picture with her cap and gown.

"I still have it," she grinned at him. "It's in my jewelry box, and it still fits."

"I remember how nervous I was when I asked your parents if I could give it to you," Anthony thought back to the conversation with Uncle Tim and Aunt Dee. He had been a wreck even though he had carefully rehearsed what he would say. When he had explained to them that he knew, and had known for a long time, that Katie was his soul mate, Aunt Dee had hugged him. When she pulled him close, she had whispered in his ear that she knew from when they were babies that he and her daughter were destined to be together.

"Here's the note," Katie picked up a folded sheet and started reading.

"_My dearest daughter, Caitlyn, I am so proud of the woman you have become. Today marks a milestone in your life journey in many ways. You were awarded your high school diploma and your Associates' Degree as a symbol of the completion of one phase of your education. I know that you will do well at Ohio State, and that you will be a fantastic teacher. Never would I have imagined just eighteen short years ago that you would also be just about engaged to your soul mate as well. Although I have known in my heart that you and Anthony would someday make a family, I never envisioned it happening so soon! Remember to enjoy your last years of your teens as you complete the next degree in your education. Take the time for you now, for once you start a family, the moments for you to pamper yourself become precious commodities. Love you to the moon and back! Mom"_

"I wish Mom had given these to me while she was alive," Katie wiped at her eyes. Anthony drew her to him, holding her against his chest as she let the tears fall. "I still miss her so much!" She gazed at the next picture in the stack. "I remember that photo session!" She showed the picture to her husband.

Anthony grinned; he had taken photos of Katie and one week old Anthony to send with the birth announcements and then tried to get a family shot using the remote shutter release. Anthony IV had cooperated with the shots with his mother and by himself, but had managed to yawn, cry, and squirm for most of the family shots. The one they had sent out with the announcement had him with his mouth open in the beginning of a yawn. It had been one of Aunt Dee's favorite shots from the photo session. He picked up the note that had been under the photo.

He unfolded it and read aloud, "_Dear Katie and Anthony, I am at a loss for words to describe the feeling of becoming a grandparent. Anthony IV is beautiful. He is most definitely a DiNozzo; I can see a strong resemblance to his namesakes. I am so eager to hold him for the first time when you come to visit over the Memorial Day weekend. Your Dad keeps calling me 'Grandma;' he says he is getting me used to hearing it. I think he's still in shock at becoming a grandparent! Uncle Tony was so right that there is nothing like the feeling of seeing your first grandchild. I am filled with love for the little boy already. My baby has her own baby! There is so much I want to share with you about being a mother, but most of all I want to share the love with you. I love all three of you to the moon and back! Mom"_

Anthony wiped a tear from his eye, as Katie sat looking at the images from her son's first week of life. It seemed so long ago that he was that small! She glanced at her husband wiping his eyes and took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Mom loved you like another son, you know!"

"Yeah, I know. I want to go hug my Ima so much right now," Anthony choked on a sob. "God, Katie, I can't even begin to imagine what you must feel with your Mom gone. I miss her so much and there's a hole in my heart where she should be." He embraced his wife rubbing circles on her back with his hand as they both sobbed.

The final note lay on the desk with several pictures. Katie moved her hand to the pile and spread out the images; pictures from the Christmas day of the accident that would forever change their lives. There was a group shot of the entire family, shots of her parents with the grandkids, with the kids, and family groups for their generation.

"Mom loved those pictures," Katie remarked. "Remember she had Dad put them where she could see them from her bed at the rehab center?" Anthony nodded. He had helped Uncle Tim load digital images to a frame that could recognize voice commands so that Aunt Dee could scroll through the images.

"Will you read the note, babe? I'm not sure I can," Katie handed the folded page to her soul mate. Anthony unfolded the paper.

"_My Katie girl, I wish I could be writing this note with my own hand, but it is not to be. I know my days are numbered; and I am ready to let go. As much as it pains me to know that you, your Dad, and John will be filled with grief when I have to leave, I also know that the three of you will stand together to move forward with the support of our extended family. I am so proud of you, baby girl. You have a beautiful family. Anthony IV is so much like his namesakes. Kelly and Shannon are very much like you were at the same age. When I look at the girls, I see smaller versions of you and of Anthony. I hope that they will remember that their Grandma loved them with all of her heart and to the moon and back. Katie, your Dad is going to need you and John to help him move on. Uncle Tony and Aunt Ziva will be his support system as well. I am still in awe at how much they gave to help us after the accident. Aunt Ziva kept telling me that it was the unwritten rule: 'You do what you have to do for family.' Katie bug, cry your tears for me for a short while when I leave, but smile when you remember me. Let your heart and soul be filled with love, laughter, and smiles when you think of me. Share the happy memories with your children and keep me alive in their hearts. I love you to the moon and back, my Katie girl. It's not goodbye forever, I'll see you on the flip side one day! Love you, Mom"_

Anthony was barely keeping it together as he read. At the final sentence, he put the page down. He sat with his head on his wife's shoulder for almost five minutes, both of them sobbing but also smiling at the good memories as Aunt Dee requested.

"I think we should share these with the kids," Katie whispered. "Keep Mom's memory alive for them."

"Yeah, and share our memories with them as well… Life is too short to keep the memories inside. I love you so much Katie." Anthony vowed to hug his Ima and Abba extra when he saw them next, and to hug Uncle Tim and tell the man how much he loved him when Ima and Abba brought him home later that day.

"We have one special family, don't we?" he voiced his thought aloud.

"That we do," Katie agreed. "That we do!"


	3. Rivka and John - March 2053

Chapter 3: Rivka and John – March 2053

When Rivka got called into her supervisor's office that rainy March afternoon, she wasn't sure what to expect. When she spotted her boss's boss at the conference table, she took a deep breath and mentally started counting to calm herself. '_Listen to what they have to say, Riv. Don't assume the worst…_' her inner conversation zig-zagged through emotions at a lightning fast pace.

"Have a seat, Rivka," her boss pointed to a chair across from the Vice President of Security Operations for the bank. "Can I get you anything to drink?"

'_Yeah, a shot of bourbon, straight!'_ she really wanted to just get this over, whatever it was. "No, thank you." She smiled a nervous smile, trying to hide the fact that her insides were doing all sorts of flip-flops.

"I guess you're wondering why we called you in to talk today?" Greg Anders cut to the chase. "We've been noticing your work for the past six months; impressive! VERY impressive. I never did get to thank you personally for getting to the root of the security breach in Texas so quickly."

Rivka breathed a sigh of relief; they weren't going to fire her or demote her! She could almost hear Ima's voice in her inner conversation, '_Never assume, metuka. Always check your information first._'

Sharon Davies, her supervisor, added, "You really put in the hours and the dedication on that one, but that's what you do, Riv. You give two hundred percent every day!" Greg nodded his agreement.

"Well, thank you. I just try to do my best on every task or job," Rivka accepted the compliment gracefully.

"We didn't just bring you in today to compliment your work. The bank is opening a new cyber-systems headquarters and we'd like you to be the head of operations," Greg explained. "I think the job would be a perfect fit for your skill set."

"Wow! I wasn't expecting this…" Riv was unsure how to react.

Sharon grinned as Greg added more information, "Your new title will be National Director of Cyber-Security Management. You will be in the top tier of management for the bank's nationwide operations. You'll get to hand pick the people who will report to you and have input into the hardware and software decisions that need to be made. The position will require a move to Maryland, somewhere near Baltimore. We are still negotiating on land to build the facility, but I expect that to be finalized within the next two weeks.

"We would, of course, pay all relocation expenses, help with selling and buying houses if you need, and offer a full benefits package for you and your dependents. We anticipate the move would be in June or July of this year."

Rivka thought a minute about how she would respond. "I will have to discuss this with my husband and family, but I would have no problem with moving to the Baltimore area. Most of our family is near DC; and it's where John and I grew up.

"I'm still in a bit of shock; wow…" she grinned at Sharon and Greg.

"We are prepared to offer you three hundred fifty thousand per year to start. That should help with the higher cost of living and give you even more incentive to take the position. Do you have any questions?"

"When do you need my decision?" Riv couldn't think of any other questions at the moment; she wanted to share her news with John and talk it over with him as soon as possible.

"Is seventy two hours enough time?" Sharon asked.

"Yes, and thank you," Rivka stood up and shook hands with both supervisors. Her mind was going at ninety miles per hour already, thinking of how to coordinate a move with their established household and the three kids.

Back at her in her office, she sat at her desk and practiced her breathing exercises for centering and calming before she sent a text to John. '_Have something to share with you tonight after kids are in bed. See you at home._'

She drove home, barely registering the rush hour traffic. Tonight was John's night to cook, since he had only one class on Fridays. The kids greeted her as she entered from the garage. Eight year old Adam showed her his award for the school math contest. Four year old Brian handed his mother a picture he had drawn for her in preschool. Two year old Abigail tugged on her mother's skirt and raised her arms to be picked up.

"So what is your big news, sweetheart?" John kissed his wife over Abigail's arm around her mother's neck. "Sounds important!"

"It is hon; we'll talk after the kids are in bed, I promise!" Riv kicked off her pumps and put Abigail down. "Let Mommy get changed into more comfortable clothes." She headed to the master bedroom with her daughter following her. She changed into a pair of jeans and hung her business suit on its hanger. Her blouse went into the laundry pile and she slipped a Georgia Tech hoodie over her head.

Back in the kitchen, Adam finished setting the table as John put the plates of food for each of the family on the table. Riv put Abigail in her booster seat and helped Brian get his chair pulled to the table. The family ate dinner, and each of the children shared about their day. After dinner, Adam took his siblings into the family room to watch a favorite TV show while Riv and John cleared the table and cleaned up the kitchen.

"What do you think about moving back up north, near family?" Riv started the conversation.

"I'd be okay if we have the jobs lined up before we go," John replied. "I've been looking at what's open at some of the schools up that way."

"Oh? I thought you'd stay at Tech, especially since you are now fully tenured and just got promoted to full professor."

John nodded, "I'd stay if that's what is best for our family. I'm not averse to moving to another school if that is what we decide. What brought this on?"

"I've been offered a promotion at work. I'll give you the details after we put the kids to bed, but it would mean that we would have to move to the Baltimore area."

Three hours later, all three McGee children were in bed and their parents were in John's home office discussing the job offer. John had been as surprised as his wife at the generous offer; he knew that she was deserving of recognition and promotion. His better half was damn good at what she did for a living! He had even had her as a guest lecturer in some of his classes.

"I am sitting on the fence with this one, John," Riv was honest. Her heart said go and her head started listing all the reasons to stay. "It's probably a once in a life time opportunity for promotion. It is my dream job too. But, we're established here in Atlanta. The kids have friends, activities, and interests here. Your job is here. On the plus side, we'd be near family and the kids would be around their cousins a lot more. I'm sure Ima and Abba and your Dad would be thrilled to have all of the grandkids close by!"

"What do YOU want, Riv? This is about you as much as it is about our family," John was excited for his wife. She would be working in a job that she loved. He knew they all would be happy to be closer to their families as well.

"But, love, I can't just think about me! It's about your job, the kids' schools and friends and our life here too!" she protested.

"What would your Ima say?" John grinned at her.

"No fair playing the Ima card! I can hear her voice now, '_Yaldati, you have to consider yourself as much as you consider others._' She'd tell me to make a list of pros and cons and reason it out." Riv started thinking as she spoke. Her Ima's advice really did make sense; making a list would help to decide.

John handed his wife a pad of paper and a pencil. Together they made a list of twenty pros and seven cons for taking the job. When they were finished, John suggested that they sleep on the decision and come back to it the next day with fresh eyes.

"I'll support you whichever way you decide, hon. I want you to be happy with the decision you make and not have any regrets." John drew her to him and kissed her gently. "We are a team, love; always have been."

"I know," Rivka whispered in reply. "Let's go to bed."

In the morning, Riv was awake before any of the others. She sat at the counter in the kitchen with her coffee and her tablet, reading the news and checking the weather. When she checked her e-mail, a message from her older sister about planning a party for Abba's eighty-fifth birthday caught her attention. Her parents weren't getting any younger. Abba especially was getting on in years. Who knew how much longer he'd be around? The move would put her children so much closer to grandparents and give them the opportunity to really get to know the extended family. Life was not guaranteed, Aunt Dee was proof of that. Her kids had no memories of one of their grandmothers other than what she and John shared with them.

Words from Grandpa came back to her, _'Family's the only thing that stays there for you no matter what!_' and _'You do what you gotta do for family!_' She picked up the list of pros and cons, rereading each point carefully. She looked at the bottom of the pro side and noticed that John had added an item without her seeing it. _'John's dream job at Johns Hopkins is within reach._' She grinned, a full on DiNozzo grin; leave it to her better half to put his own positive spin on the decision. She loved him all the more for it.

"Penny for your thoughts, hon," John came up behind her and nuzzled her neck.

Riv turned and kissed him passionately, "You really are something special, John Anthony McGee! Thank you for that." She pointed to the last item on the plus column.

"Always been on my dream list, love! Have you decided?" John put a gentle kiss on his wife's forehead.

"Yes; I'm going to take the job. You knew that all along, didn't you?"


	4. Beth and Charles - May 2044

Chapter 4: Beth and Charles – May 2044

Charles looked over at his wife, curled in a ball on the bed. Tears were running down her face. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?" he sat next to her and rubbed a hand on her back.

Beth sat up and wrapped her arms around her husband, sobbing into his shoulder. He pulled her into the embrace, his arms holding her as she sobbed. Whatever this was, he knew it was serious. Beth almost never cried. As he held the crying woman, he glanced around the room trying to find a clue as to his soul mate's distress.

"Hey, I love you," Charles stroked his wife's face, wiping tears. He reached over to the nightstand and grabbed several tissues, handing them to her. "Whatever it is, you have my support one hundred percent…"

Beth wiped her nose and ran a hand over her face. She took her lover's hand in hers. "It… it… was… negative…" she started sobbing again.

"What was… oh!" Charles made the connection; the home pregnancy test was negative. "It's okay, hon, we just keep on trying. The doctor said it may be several months before we have success…"

"But it's so hard to deal with the disappointment… We've been together for ten years now; sexually active for almost six years. Riv and John weren't even trying and…"

"Beth, please don't go down that road… You shouldn't be comparing yourself to others. I know we planned to have our family started by now; there are other ways for us to have kids, you know…"

"But I want us to make a baby, Charles! We should be able to do that even if my body has eggs that are not viable; there have to be some that are, right?"

Charles hated that Beth blamed herself for their lack of conception, "Of course, love, that's why we just keep trying; get that month when a good egg is released…" He felt the tears forming as she sobbed again. "I love you no matter what, Elizabeth Shannon DiNozzo Palmer!" He let his tears fall as he rocked his woman in his arms, letting his actions speak his undying love for her.

The couple fell asleep wrapped together. In the morning, Beth was less emotional and she and Charles discussed the plan they had to try to conceive. The doctor had told them that after a year of trying without success they could consider other options for conception, such as in vitro fertilization. They had downloaded an app to Beth's smart watch that helped predict days of ovulation and when their best chances for conception occurred.

Month after month, Beth would anxiously wait for her period to start or not. Each new cycle brought disappointment and tears. Charles would hold his sobbing wife and reassure her that they would have a family. In October, after a missed period, she was scared to do a home test again. She feared another negative test result and hesitated in completing it. Charles suggested that she wait until the weekend when they both could see the results immediately. He held her hand as she peed on the test stick and then placed it on the counter. Charles set the timer on his phone for fifteen minutes and then dragged his wife into the kitchen to make her favorite breakfast of waffles and bananas. He succeeded in distracting her from thinking about the test for almost an hour.

Together they went into the bathroom, holding hands. Beth couldn't look as he picked up the test stick to read the results. She squeezed her eyes shout, and tried not to get her hopes up. She heard him take a sharp breath in.

"Damn; just tell me the bad news and get it over with," she sighed nearly in tears already. She still had her eyes squeezed shut, hoping to keep the tears from sliding down her cheeks.

"Beth, honey, open your eyes," Charles gently coaxed. "You really want to see this!" He squeezed his wife's hand and then tilted her head upward to have her look into his eyes when she opened hers.

She opened her eyes and saw her soul mate gazing at her with so much love. He smiled at her and kissed her gently before suggesting that she look at the stick.

"Is that what I think it is?" she gasped.

"Yeah; it's a blue plus sign!" Charles wrapped his arms around his wife and swung her around as she wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed. "We made a baby, love! We're gonna be parents!" He let his own tears fall as the couple digested the news. "We made a baby…"


	5. LJ and Savannah - December 2045

Chapter 5: LJ and Savannah – December 2045

LJ fidgeted and reached into his pocket to wrap his fingers around the jeweler's box in his pocket. He knew that the woman sitting next to him was "the one." In fact, he had known since he had laid eyes on her at Uncle Tim's retirement party. Never mind that he had been her babysitter ten years ago, watching over her and her younger brother when Uncle Clay and Aunt Ellie needed a night out. Now that she was an adult, the five year age difference meant nothing.

They were all at a steak house restaurant, celebrating Jason's eighteenth birthday with family. LJ was hoping that the right moment to get Savannah alone and ask her to be his wife would present itself. He definitely didn't want to propose to her in front of everyone. Stealing the kid's thunder on his birthday was just wrong. Perhaps the ride back to the house for cake and presents after dinner would give him that opportunity.

"LJ?" Savannah tapped his arm. "Are you okay? You seem distracted tonight."

"Oh, sorry; just was thinking about all the times I babysat you and Jason. And now both of you are all grown up!" LJ smiled at his girlfriend. He leaned towards her and placed a light kiss on her lips. He could feel Uncle Clay watching him, so he didn't linger as long as he would have liked. He couldn't get enough of the taste of her lips.

Savannah sighed, "Dad and I are going to have to talk; he can't keep watching as though I'm still his little girl." She tried staring him down, but he wouldn't break eye contact. "I swear he's annoying me on purpose," she muttered to her boyfriend. She broke the stare and planted her lips firmly on LJ's, kissing him passionately.

"Get a room!" Jason joked with his big sister.

"Over my dead body," Clay responded quickly. "She's my little girl…"

"Da-ad," an exasperated Savannah whined.

Ellie spoke up, "Cool it, everyone! We're here to celebrate Jason's birthday, not get on each other's nerves!" She gave her husband a very pointed look, making eye contact. '_Back off, we'll discuss this later._' Clay nodded; they would definitely be discussing his baby's relationship status later.

LJ squeezed Savannah's hand under the table. She squeezed back and whispered, "I'm glad I rode with you; let's get out of here as soon as we can!" He nodded his agreement; he could get her alone and put his plan into action!

Their food orders arrived and everyone dug in to the meal. LJ was enjoying his New York strip steak and baked potato; he had ordered the grilled mixed vegetables as his second side. Savannah put all of her grilled zucchini on LJ's plate; she didn't like many vegetables, but LJ almost always ate the ones she wouldn't.

As the family finished the meal, Ellie reminded everyone that cake and presents would be back at the Reeves house in a little over an hour. The extended family was all coming to celebrate with Jason. LJ stood and helped his girlfriend to her feet.

"We'll see you back at the house," Savannah told her mother. "We have to go pick up LJ's present for Jason before we get there."

Ellie nodded at her daughter, "Great. See you shortly."

"Thanks for dinner, Aunt Ellie and Uncle Clay; we'll see you in a bit for cake!" LJ took Savannah's hand in his and led her out to the parking lot. He opened the car door for her, and grinned as she brushed her lips on his as she moved into the passenger seat.

As he walked around to the driver's side, he put his hand on the box in his pocket. The plan was falling into place nicely. Now to get to his apartment so that he had time to pop the question properly before they had to be at the birthday party.

Once he was headed to his place, he intertwined his fingers with Savannah's. He raised their joined hands and put a kiss on the back of hers.

"Don't let my Dad get to you," she said. "He's being a royal pain in the overprotective father role lately. Mom runs interference a lot; but maybe now that Jason's eighteen, Dad'll get on HIS nerves more than mine for a change."

"Don't count on it," LJ grinned. "My Abba was that way with my sisters, even the twins. John and Charles thought they would never get to ask the big question! If Tali hadn't moved into her own place before she met Chaim, I think Abba would have been even worse with her."

"Maybe I should move out?" Savannah mused.

LJ smiled; this conversation was playing right into his plan. All he had to do is get to his apartment and get to the actual proposal! "Where would you go?" he played along with her thought as he turned into the parking lot for his complex.

"I really don't know; with only a part time job while I finish up the radiology tech program, I can't afford much." They exited the car and walked hand in hand to his front door.

LJ opened the door and motioned for Savannah to enter the apartment. "Well, if you'll have a seat over here, I have an idea that you might like." He pointed to the sofa in his living room. They moved over to sit side by side.

LJ took Savannah's hand in his, and gazed into her eyes. She watched as he dropped to one knee and pulled a small box out of his pocket.

"Savannah Reeves, you are the sunshine in my life. When I'm with you, I feel like I can do anything. Would you be my wife?" He opened the ring box and held it out to her, grinning his DiNozzo grin.

"Oh, LJ, YES, YES, YES!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and locked her lips on his. LJ could feel a tear slipping down his cheek; she said yes! As they broke apart, he slipped the ring on her finger and gently reached to wipe the tears from her face.

"It belongs there," he whispered. "You don't know how happy you have made me, my love."

"Yeah, I do," she whispered back. "Forever…" They fused lips again and caressed each other's faces; the only reason they broke apart was the incoming text message signal from her phone.

LJ glanced at the phone, "Well, damn, it's your Dad. How did he KNOW?"

"I better reply or he'll figure out how to track me down," she was annoyed at her father. "He wants us to pick up three more two liter bottles of soda on the way to the house."

"Tell him okay; we can stop at the convenience store on the corner," LJ replied. He pulled Savannah to her feet and wrapped his arms around her. "Let's see how long it takes for everyone to notice your ring."

The couple stopped for the sodas and headed to the Reeves house. LJ carried the two bags with the soda bottles to the kitchen. Aunt Ellie greeted him and told him to put the sodas on the counter by the other bottles.

"You're grinning like a Cheshire cat, LJ. What's up?" she couldn't help but notice her nephew's smile.

LJ just grinned some more and put the sodas on the counter; Savannah walked into the kitchen as her Mom was questioning her fiancé. She casually put her left hand on the counter and watched her Mom's reaction. LJ wrapped his arm around Savannah as Aunt Ellie pointed to the ring, and then looked between LJ and Savannah. She wrapped the two into a hug.

"Congratulations; we won't say anything to your Dad until after the party, okay?"

Ziva came into the kitchen as Ellie was hugging the kids. She took one look at LJ and knew. She picked up Savannah's left hand and grinned. "Mazal tov! When will you tell the rest of the family?"

"AFTER the party," Savannah was adamant. "Unless they notice beforehand. Dad's going to be the one we have to sit down with…"

Ziva turned to LJ, "Abba and I will stay if you want us to be there."

"Thanks, Ima. I may need Abba to help me convince Uncle Clay that he's not losing his little girl… Abba survived three daughters' weddings!"

During the party, LJ got Uncle Clay off to the side; he really wanted to be the first to talk to his uncle and to ask properly for Savannah's hand in marriage. If he had learned nothing from his Abba other than some things just needed to be done traditionally, then he was good for the conversation.

"Uncle Clay?"

"What's up LJ?"

"I really would like to talk with you for a few minutes," LJ was slightly nervous. His uncle nodded and the two moved into the entry way where they had more privacy for the conversation.

"Uncle Clay, I have been dating Savannah for almost a year. She brings joy to my life in a way I never thought someone possibly could. I love her with every part of me, and I would like your blessing to make her my wife." LJ put his heart out there in one breath before he lost his nerve.

Clay looked at LJ, not saying a word. He knew the couple was getting serious by the way they interacted and the amount of time they spent together. He could tell the young man was nervous, but also sincere. He tried to give LJ his best protective father glare, but ended up smiling before he spoke.

"I can tell she's happy with you, LJ. Will you promise me that she'll finish her education and that you will respect her always?"

"Yes, sir," LJ felt relieved. Uncle Clay clapped a hand on LJ's shoulder and grinned. "Thank you, sir."

"Kid, I'm still your uncle; you can cut the sir stuff! Now, let's go back into the party and celebrate!"

LJ and Clay walked back into the family room with the others. Savannah moved over near her fiancé and put her hand in his.

"What was that with my Dad?" she spoke quietly.

"He's cool with us getting married," LJ replied just as quietly. "I told him how I feel about you, and asked for his blessing."

She turned to LJ and wrapped her arms around his neck, locking lips with him. As she moved, the light caught the stone on her ring. Several of the family noticed and started applauding. Clay called for silence and then nodded to LJ and Savannah.

"Everyone, I just want you all to know that I've asked this beauty by my side to be my wife, and she said YES!" LJ made the announcement as Savannah held out her hand to show off her ring. "I can't imagine not having her by my side forever."


	6. Jimmy and Breena - June 2025

Chapter 6: Jimmy and Breena – June 2025

Jimmy glanced at the text message on his phone as he prepped for the autopsy at hand. He grinned when he saw that it was from Breena. _'Kids are going to DiNozzo house for the night. Hope you don't have to work late._'

Jimmy quickly replied and then got to work on the autopsy. It was a mostly straightforward procedure. The evidence and Jimmy's work confirmed that the victim had committed suicide. Jimmy sewed the chest cavity shut and returned the body to the storage drawer. He signed off on the release papers and noted that the body was ready for pick-up in the computer.

He cleaned up and dressed back in his street clothes. Once he had finished his duties for the day, he sent a text to Breena, '_Headed home. Will pick up dinner at China One._" Breena sent back a thumbs up emoji. Jimmy called in the order for their usual meals at the Chinese take-out restaurant; teriyaki beef for Breena and Moo Shu chicken for himself, with fried rice and veggie egg rolls.

Forty minutes later, he walked into the kitchen from the garage with the take-out food and a bottle of sparkling white grape juice. Breena had already set up the floor cushions in the family room and the Mr. Mouth game was ready to go on the coffee table. Jimmy grinned and pulled his wife to him. "I love you, Breena!"

"Mmm; I love you too Doctor Jimmy Palmer!" Breena gently brushed her lips across her husband's. "Do I smell teriyaki beef?"

"You do; and Moo Shu chicken, and fried rice, and veggie egg rolls," Jimmy pulled each food container from the large take-out bag. He set the food on the table between him and Breena. She opened her carton and started eating right out of the container. Jimmy unwrapped the thin rice pancakes and put his Moo Shu wraps together on a plate, using the plum sauce and chicken and vegetable mix from the carton.

Breena took a break between bites for some water. "So who goes first tonight? One good and one bad thing about your day…"

"I'll start," Jimmy volunteered. "It was a good day because there were no surprises and everything went smoothly. It was a bad day because there was a body on my table."

Breena could relate, "I had a good day because we received a nice thank you note from one of the families from a funeral last week. It was a bad day because we had a mother and father come in to make arrangements for their deceased eight year old son."

"So sad, I could not even begin to imagine what they must be feeling," Jimmy commented.

"Every time we have a parent making arrangements for a child, it gets to me," Breena added. "I want to come home and hug Tori and Charles to pieces."

Both ate in silence thinking about the parents that had been in Breena's office that day. Jimmy finished his Moo Shu and gathered up empty containers from the food. Breena had some of her beef left and there was also some fried rice in the container. While Jimmy put the trash out, Breena put left over food in the refrigerator. She took the plastic champagne glasses out of the cabinet as Jimmy pulled the cork on the sparkling white grape juice. They took the glasses and the remainder of the bottle to the family room.

Jimmy flipped the switch on the Mr. Mouth game and he and Breena each took chips for two different colors. They shot the chips towards the open mouth, each time one landed inside, they named a stressor from the past week.

"A delayed order…" Breena spoke as her first chip landed in the rotating mouth.

"Gibbs wanting answers immediately…" Jimmy's chip plopped in the mouth.

"Sick kids!" both parents shouted out on the next set of chips.

They continued until all the chips had been shot into the giant mouth. Jimmy flipped the switch to off so he could remove the chips for the next round. Usually for round two, they dared the other to shoot the chip in some unusual manner.

"Use your elbow," Jimmy told Breena for her first chip. After three tries she succeeded.

Grinning, she told him, "Use your big toe!" Five tries later, Jimmy was successful.

"Your nose," he giggled as Breena tried to move the flipper with her nose. She got really lucky and the chip landed in the mouth on her second attempt.

They got sillier as they went, shooting chips using various body parts or from weird positions. The final shots were made with their tongues, but both were laughing so hard that it took many attempts to be successful.

Round three was the 'free for all.' A chip could be launched with any body part and in any direction the shooter chose. Jimmy tried several times to shoot a chip down Breena's blouse front, finally succeeding when she was bent over trying to pick up chips from the floor. Both were laughing and just having fun.

"Always works, doesn't it?" Breena commented.

"Yeah, it does. I love getting rid of stress with you this way!" Jimmy gathered chips and put them in the box as Breena picked up the remote for the TV and Blu-Ray player. She powered up both and pressed 'play' as the first of the _Naked Gun_ movies queued. The three movies in the series were some of their favorite comedies to unwind.

As the movie started, the couple curled up together on the sofa, content with the comfort and warmth of the other. As long as they had each other, they would conquer stress and any other challenge life threw in their path.


	7. Tim and Delilah - December 2020

Chapter 7: Tim and Delilah – December 2020

It started before they were married; back then they had argued in binary in the NCIS bullpen. Tony found it amusing; Gibbs, confusing. Ellie had thought it cute. As the years passed and the twins grew, they had switched from binary to hex and their own short-hand codes. Hexadecimal was so much easier and faster than the eight digits of zeros and ones in binary. Characters in hex had only two digits!

Tim liked to think of it as their code changed as their relationship changed. Binary had been fun when it had just been the two of them dating. As their life became more complicated, so did their code. They had briefly tried octal, but Dee just couldn't get into base eight. Their code evolved to a mix of hex, texting slang, and their own shortened versions of commonly communicated words and phrases.

Just this morning, over breakfast, while John and Katie ate their waffles and bacon, Tim and Dee had discussed the upcoming birthday party at SkyZone. All of the conversation had been in code, so the twins were unaware of the planning and pending fun afternoon with family and friends at the indoor play area on Saturday.

"53, 6B, 79, 5A, 6F, 6E, 65. 31, 31, 30, 30, 2D, 31,33, 30, 30. 50, 69, 7A, 7A, 61, 20, 43, 61, 6B, 65, 20, 69, 63, 65, 20, 63, 72, 65, 61, 6D, 20, 26, 20, 73, 6F, 64, 61." Delilah informed Tim as John stuffed half of a waffle in his mouth, and Katie licked syrup off her hands.

Tim nodded, translating to the email he was composing to family members, 'Save the date: 12.05.2020. John and Katie's 3rd birthday. SkyZone. 1100 – 1300. Pizza, cake, ice cream & soda.'

"Sent, 6D, 4P, R&B, 1T, 1K, 1A, 1V, 1S," Tim replied. He then mimed calling on the phone, "1G, 1D."

Delilah mentally checked off her guest list as Tim recited the recipients of his email: DiNozzos, Palmers, Clay and Ellie, Torres, Kasie, Abby, Vance, and Sloane. Tim would call Gibbs and Ducky when he was out of earshot of little ears.

Tim looked at his watch, "Time for Dad to head to work." He kissed each of the kids on the head, trying to avoid Katie's sticky syrup hands. She succeeded in getting one hand on the side of his face. He leaned over and kissed his wife, "See you tonight!" She used the wet wipe near her place to wipe the syrup off her husband's cheek.

"49, 20, 3C, 33, 20, 75," she kissed him once more after the syrup spot was gone, and grinned.

"Wait, what?" Tim was trying to figure out what his wife said.

"Repeat it?"

"I got the hex, but not what you mean," Tim responded.

"Figure it out!"

Tim left for NCIS and puzzled over the message on his drive to work. When he wasn't working on the case at hand, he tried to decipher his wife's message. '_I blank less than three blank U._' He was stumped until almost lunch time when he wrote out the characters on paper.

"OH!" Ellie, Clay, and Nick looked at the SFA with questions in their eyes. Tim caught their looks and laughed. "I just figured out something Dee was trying to tell me in code this morning! One of those 'DUH!' moments."

"Gonna share, or keep us guessing?" Nick asked teasingly.

Tim shook his head, "Private conversation…" He finished texting Dee and hit send, 'I < 3 U, too!'


	8. Ellie and Clay - August 2028

Chapter 8: Ellie and Clay – August 2028

Ellie was at her wits' end. The kids had been cranky and acting up all day. More than once today she had questioned her sanity at having two little ones only sixteen months apart. Two year old Savannah had entered the 'terrible twos' with a vengeance. Eight month old Jason was cutting teeth. Clay had been on assignment to Boston for the week on a case. She was at a point where she wasn't even sure of her own sanity.

After Savannah had emptied the toy box all over the family room while Ellie was changing Jason's diaper and drool-soaked clothing, Ellie had just sat on the floor and cried tears of frustration. That's how Clay found her when he arrived home on Friday afternoon. Jason had fallen asleep on the floor next to his mother and Savannah was almost asleep on one of the chairs.

Clay sat picked up his little girl when she reached up to him sleepily. He looked over at Ellie, who hadn't moved or acknowledged his presence. He sat down on the floor next to his wife, carefully adjusting Savannah in his arms so that she continued to fall asleep.

"Ellie?" he spoke softly as he moved Savannah to his side away from his wife. He was pretty sure the little girl was sleeping. He gently placed his hand under Ellie's chin and raised her face to make eye contact. "Honey, what's wrong?"

"I…I…I'm… a bad… mommy…" Ellie hiccuped through her tears. "I can't do this…" Her sobs started again as she looked away from Clay. She felt that she had let him and everyone else down.

"Hey, Ellie-belly," Clay noticed a slight smile as he used one of her father's nicknames. "You are a good mother, honey. What happened?"

"Jason's cutting teeth and drooling on everything; he's miserable and running a fever," Ellie explained through her tears. "And Savannah is trying my patience; she emptied the toy box while I was changing the baby's clothes…" She gestured at the mess in the family room.

"Our kids love you and they're happy. I LOVE you more today than ever. We can get through this together, love." Clay put an arm around his wife. "It's just a speed bump on the highway of life!"

"You think?" Ellie lifted her head and smiled weakly at her better half. "It seems to be one thing after the other these days…"

"I'm sorry that I wasn't here to help this week, El," Clay apologized. "If there was any way I could have stayed home this week, I would have. Tim and I were the only ones available to go, with Nick TDY to San Diego and Morrison still in training. Did you get to call any family for help or to talk?"

"Yeah, I called Ziva to ask her how she did it with three under age two."

"Oh? What advice did you get from her?"

"She laughed and asked me what made me think that she had it easy. She told me about how some days she wanted to just cry and give up, but then she remembered a promise that she made to herself when Tali was a baby and very colicky.

"She told herself that she could be a good mother and that if she got upset, Tali would get upset more. She promised herself to be kind and not judge herself against others, or her perceptions of what a good mother should be."

"Wise woman; and she made it through with the twins and LJ, didn't she?" Clay watched as Ellie nodded, hoping that she had listened to Ziva's words. He pulled Ellie into a hug, and rocked her slightly as she sniffled into his chest.

"Clay?"

"Yeah, El?"

"Why do you love me?"

"Because you are the one who gets me, the one who has that spark of life that energizes me, the one whose smile lights up my day, the one whose embrace I long for all day when we're apart…"

"Sap!"

"So what if I am? El, I love you just the way you are. You don't need to be the 'perfect' wife and mother for me to love you. I kinda like your imperfections and quirks. That's the Ellie I love with every part of me." Clay placed a gentle kiss on his wife's head as she snuggled into him.

"Okay," she sniffled again and raised her head off his chest.

"How about we clean up this mess without waking the kids and then we can all snuggle?" Clay grinned as she beamed at him through the last of the tears and nodded. They stood up carefully so they didn't disturb the two little ones sleeping on the carpet. Within ten minutes, all of the toys were back in the toy box or on the shelf where they belonged.

Clay lifted Savannah into his arms as Ellie picked up Jason from the floor. The couple carried their two sleeping children to the master bedroom and laid them on the bed between them. Clay reached over and interlaced his fingers with Ellie's.

"When they're asleep they look so angelic," Ellie said softly.

"They're beautiful, El, because they are ours!" Clay leaned over and kissed his wife. "I love you Ellie-belly more than all the stars in the heavens."


	9. Abby and Leon - Halloween 2030

Chapter 9: Abby and Leon – Halloween 2030

Leon grabbed the small shopping bag from the jeweler from the passenger seat of his SUV; Abby's car was already in the garage. He was sure she was getting the last of the preparations made for the trick or treaters who would be ringing their doorbell after sundown. That fit nicely with his plan to sneak the surprise for his wife into the house without her noticing.

He dropped the bag on his desk in his home office and went to find Abby in the house. She was by the front door filling the large buckets from the bags of snack-sized candy she had bought for the trick or treaters. She had on her black shirt with the glow in the dark bones printed on the front and sleeves. As Leon approached, she looked up and grinned.

"Well, hello, handsome," she hugged him and brushed her lips on his. "Did you decide which costume you're wearing tonight?"

"Yes, the pirate," Leon replied before returning the kiss. "I'll go get changed and be right back."

Abby smiled to herself; she had guessed correctly! He would find a gift from her in the pocket of the pirate's jacket. She hoped that he liked it. She had found a signet ring at an antique shop nearby. The initials LV with a lion's head adorned the ring. It had both white and yellow gold, with accents of black. She had found a jeweler that could resize the ring from one that he already had.

As Leon reappeared in the pirate costume, the doorbell rang with the first trick or treaters. Abby opened the door to a group of eight children from the neighborhood.

"Trick or treat!" the kids chorused.

"Let me look at your costumes!" Abby gushed. "You all look so great; now, who wants candy?"

"Me!"

"Me, Mrs. Vance!"

"Hi, Mr. Vance!"

Leon held out the bucket of candy for the kids to choose their treats. As the first group was heading back down the driveway, three more groups started towards the door. Abby and Leon handed out candy and compliments for nearly two hours straight. As the numbers started dwindling, Abby looked to see how much candy they had left.

"Wow, we gave out quite a bit of candy!" she remarked when she saw that three of the four buckets were empty.

"Yep, I counted almost two hundred fifty kids so far."

Abby smiled, "I guess the word got out that we have the goodies! I love it when we have tons of kids come by!"

Leon knew Abby was in her element; she loved Halloween. When the DiNozzo, McGee, and Palmer kids had come through earlier, she had taken nearly fifty pictures. Tali and Tori claimed that they only came for Abby, but they did get dressed in costumes. Anthony and John had no costumes, but they did have large pillow cases to fill with candy.

After twenty minutes with no kids stopping by, Abby started extinguishing the luminaries along the driveway and walkway. Leon went inside to get a trash bag and also grab the gift bag off his desk. He came outside carrying both.

"Trick or treat, Abby!" he held out the small bag to his wife.

"For me?" Abby tried not to squeal, but she did jump up and down. "I love presents!" She took the bag and then commented, "Look in your jacket pocket, love."

Leon reached into the pocket and pulled out a small jeweler's box. Abby pulled out the long slender box that was in the bag Leon gave her. They grinned at each other.

"On three?" Abby nodded. "One, two, three!" Abby and Leon both opened their boxes.

"Oh, Leon, it's absolutely gorgeous!" Abby held up the graduated, alternating white and black diamond zig-zag choker. "I love it!"

Leon opened his box revealing the signet ring. "Abs, this is awesome." He looked closer, "It has my initials!" He slipped the ring on his right ring finger and then helped Abby put on her necklace.

"Thank you, my love," Abby turned and wrapped her arms around Leon's neck. Their lips met.

"I saw it and it reminded me of you," Leon explained. "And since today is the third anniversary of the day you said yes…"

"The ring made me think of you," Abby stated. "I have been so happy with you for these past four years. I love you, Leon!"

"And I love you, Abby!"


	10. Tony and Ziva - May 2023

Chapter 10: Tony and Ziva – May 2023

"Do you think we went overboard?" Ziva asked Tony for the fifth time.

"Nah, the kids will love it. Besides, we can have the whole family over to play on it," Tony was checking out the simulated climbing wall on the backyard playset they'd had installed while the kids were at Grandpa Gibbs' house for the weekend.

"But, seven swings, five slides, the rope climber, three forts, two bridges, two gliders and one four person glider, plus the tunnels and picnic table are more than enough to keep all nine busy."

"Zi, they'll love it; trust me. If I were a kid, I'd be all over this thing!" Tony was slightly jealous because he had never had any swing set, let alone a backyard play center like this one. "A big plus is the life time warranty. This thing'll be around for grandkids, Ziva."

"Well, it had better be, for the ten thousand dollars that we paid for it. I still say we probably went a bit too far…" Ziva sat on one of the swings as she talked. Tony moved over next to her and gently cupped her face in his hands.

"Zi, think of all the memories that the kids and their cousins will make with this. One of my fondest memories is getting to play on a swing set in my Uncle Vincenzo's yard when we visited. I was about four and I had never even seen a swing set before. It was a little boy's dream come true!"

Ziva remembered the swings from her elementary school. "Yes, we had swings at my school; I used to love to swing high and throw my head back and look at the sky and the clouds as I moved back and forth. It was like I was in another world."

"See what I mean? I want our kids to have the memories that we didn't get to have," Tony got quiet as he remembered silent days and nights in his room with just a few toys to keep him company. He was not allowed to go outside when his mother was sick; going to a park was out of the question. The string of nannies after his mother died never even seemed interested in letting him play like a kid should.

Ziva noticed the distant look in her husband's eyes, "Share?"

Tony met her gaze, "Just remembering that I never got to play much after Mom got sick. Kids need to play; I didn't get that growing up…"

"I know; Eli's definition of play was to train us to be good little soldiers for the good of the country," Ziva tried to keep the bitterness out of her voice. "Our five should never have to know what it is like to have to grow up at a young age, yes?"

"Tali is almost nine; what were you doing at nine, Zi? I was usually sitting alone in my room with a few toys and my bear. That bear was all I had to talk to most days. I didn't even have movies any more unless there was one on TV. I had to become my own company and friend. Even that was hard to do after Senior told me one night when he came home drunk that Mom left us because of me. I hated myself for causing Mom to die…"

Ziva pulled Tony to her, letting him burrow his face into her neck and shoulder. She felt the wetness from his tears as she rubbed circles on his back and held him. Finally he sat up and wiped a hand over his face. "What about you?" he asked.

"I was training; learning languages, practicing tracking and survival skills with Ari; trying to please my father and earn his praise." Ziva fell silent, lost in a memory of having Eli yelling at her and Ima because he had caught Ziva coloring in a coloring book instead of practicing with hand to hand combat with Ari.

Tony watched his wife's face as her expression turned darker. "Tell me, Zi?" He put a hand under her chin and raised her face, making eye contact.

"It is nothing," Ziva started to protest. Tony nodded his head, encouraging her to share and let go of another hurtful memory. "It was Eli. I had been coloring in a coloring book that Ima kept hidden in her wardrobe closet. It was a picture of a kitten and I had many colors from a new box of crayons that Ima bought while visiting Aunt Nettie. I was sitting at the kitchen table when he came in the house."

"Ima tried to get me to put the book and crayons away in a hurry, but Eli spotted them and grabbed the box from me. He opened the door and hurled the box of crayons into the yard. Then he tore the coloring book in half in front of me. His eyes were filled with rage and he yelled at Ima and at me.

"I had never seen him so angry. He yelled so loudly that he woke up Tali from her nap. She screamed and cried for a half an hour because he scared her so badly. She was maybe a year old at the time. I wanted to protect her from him. He stormed out of the house in a rage. Ari came in from outside and he offered to help me find my crayons in the yard. When we went to look for them, we discovered that Eli had stomped them to pieces in his fit of anger.

"I went inside and told Ima that I was sorry that I had angered Abba and that it would never happen again. I would be a good little soldier and do as my Abba wished. Ima cried and hugged me, trying to tell me that it was not my fault, but I believed that I was the reason Abba had been so angry. It was my fault." Ziva looked into Tony's eyes, communicating in their own unspoken language.

"Oh, Zi, that little girl only wanted to be loved; she wasn't bad. I wish I could take all that away." Tony gently kissed Ziva's forehead and stroked her cheek with his hand.

"It is what it is, Tony." Ziva had made peace with her past to the point that she could share bits and pieces with Tony, just as he had done with his own painful memories. Each time they shared, a bit of the hurt slipped away and they healed a bit more. Each shared memory, good or bad, connected their souls even stronger. Together, they could do anything, including heal themselves and each other from the pain, hurt, and sorrow of the past.

**A/N Hope you enjoyed this series; thanks to all who reviewed, favorited, followed, and just read along. This chapter plants some seeds for stories to come...**


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